So Who Is Lobbying The NFL To Play The Bucs In Munich?
May 3rd, 2022
Who wants to play the Bucs in Deutschland?
It seems one team is lobbying the NFL to play a road game in London against the Packers. And it got Joe thinking about what teams, if any, are pushing NFL warden Roger Goodell to play the Bucs in Munich?
The Bucs will make NFL history hosting the first NFL regular season game on German soil this fall. Rumors are the Bucs will play on Sunday, Nov. 13. Later this week, the NFL is expected to announce dates and matchups for all the international games scheduled for England, Mexico and Germany.
That news came from Daylight-Savings-Time-scared, crossword-puzzle-puzzled, Elon-Musk-peeved, Barstool-Sports-triggered, almond-milk-sipping, hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling, L.L.-Bean-wearing, tennis fans’ advocate, Second Amendment abolitionist, Mike-Florio-arguing, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal-picture-taking, video-game-playing, Taylor-Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant, baseball-scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, Coors-Light-souring, pineapple-upside-down-cake-eating social activist and NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports fame in his weekly “Football Morning in America” column.
However, there was another juicy bit of intel from King about international games and scheduling. It seems, per King, the Rams volunteered to play the Packers in London, so long as the game will be played in the second half of the season.
Joe’s first thought was the NFL rarely puts marquee games on international soil. In 2018, however, the Rams and Chiefs were expected to play in Mexico City but that got moved to Los Angeles because the field in Mexico was not in playing condition.
It turned out to be a game for the ages on Monday Night Football with the Rams winning 54-51. But the vast majority of the international matchups are garbage.
So why in the world would the Rams want to travel halfway across the globe to play the Packers instead of just two time zones away in Green Bay? Well, King said the Rams want to take advantage of a neutral site and avoid Lambeau Field.
The second reason? The weather.
England in November isn’t that awful (40s or 50s). In Green Bay? It could be 20 degrees at night and a foot of snow. So by playing in England, Los Angeles dodges potential frigid temperatures or freezing rain or snow, or all three that can easily happen in East-Central Wisconsin in November.
Smart!
So that got Joe thinking: If the Packers’ opponents are trying to play Green Bay in England to avoid wintry weather and a road-field disadvantage, how many Bucs’ home opponents are begging the NFL to play Tampa Bay in Munich to avoid roasting in the brutal Florida September or October sun?
Average temperatures in Munich are about the same as in England, 40s in November in Bavaria. The Seahawks are probably begging the NFL to play the Bucs in Munich, which seems to have a Seattle-like climate. (The Packers are another far-northern team on the Bucs’ home schedule, but Joe doubts they want to travel to Europe twice).
The rest of the Bucs’ home opponents are more accustomed to the heat.
King also noted that the NFL is trying to get half the league to play an international game instead instead of a ninth home game. That’s fair to Joe. It’s been eight home games for decades.
Just FYI, Bucs’ home opponents this year: Atlanta, Carolina, New Orleans, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Kansas City, Los Angeles (Rams) and Seattle.
Enjoy The Ira Kaufman Podcast Dissecting The Draft, And More.
May 3rd, 2022 at 3:56 am
As a season ticket holder I want to see all of these marquee qbs play in Tampa. If we get robbed of rodgers vs brady itz a sad day. Burrow, lamar, mahomes, stafford, all must be in tampa. Make the Germany game vs falcons panthers or saints
May 3rd, 2022 at 5:14 am
No Goodall will probably have us play KC.
May 3rd, 2022 at 5:38 am
Cincy or Baltimore would be my guess. In regards to the Packers, I believe I recall from this dear site that because of the forced game in Germany, the Bucs are allowed to protect one home game from being taken and they chose the Packers. I distinctly recall this, because I was thinking that we were playing in GB and that this would be my first and last chance to see Brady live and in person for my beloved team, only to have my hopes and dreams crushed by a misreading of the schedule. I’ll have to wait until 2023 to possibly see my Bucs in person. So they’re out of choices. Normally they have us play divisional games out of the country. So hopefully it’s not the aints this time.
May 3rd, 2022 at 5:56 am
How about Cincy
May 3rd, 2022 at 6:24 am
Don’t care. It’s ridiculous to play regular season games in Europe, but the greed of the NFL knows no bounds. The Bucs never do well overseas anyway.
May 3rd, 2022 at 6:53 am
The Bucs have been abominable when they’ve played in England. The one in 2011 was the start of the Raheehaw / Josh Failman meltdown that ushered in the Greg Schiamorono era.
That Mark Dumbernik sure could pick’em.
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:45 am
The games played in Europe tend not to be very good, possibly because the players are tired and jet lagged from the long flight. I doubt that they do much to encourage intrest in football over there. If that’s what the owners want, they should finance a small local league with local players. That would be more effective in drumming up European interest in the game.
May 3rd, 2022 at 7:45 am
Look at that home schedule….it’s brutal!!!
May 3rd, 2022 at 8:08 am
Isn’t Kansas City the other team with marketing rights in Germany?
May 3rd, 2022 at 8:20 am
If the NFL wants to give the Germans a great game, The Buffalo Bills come to mind.
May 3rd, 2022 at 8:21 am
It would be fun to watch a NFL game on the dimensions of a soccer field
May 3rd, 2022 at 8:22 am
I hope they schedule the game in Munich around Oktoberfest; I’ll see if I can get off work. Hot, dirndl-wearing fräuleins hoisting tall steins of lager, plus football? That’s heaven.
May 3rd, 2022 at 8:25 am
“Rams volunteered to play the Packers in London” And most likely this would give the Rams a late season bye which is the norm after an overseas game.
May 3rd, 2022 at 8:33 am
Living here in Asia, it does not matter to me what they play at home or not. With that being said, anyone who is a season ticket holder has every right to care. I mean shelling out the cash $ and they give a game away for international consumption, just not cool.
GO BUCS!!!!
May 3rd, 2022 at 10:18 am
They should play in Toronto
May 3rd, 2022 at 10:37 am
Green Bay’s home field advantage just doesn’t hold water under Rodgers. Gis one SB win came when they backed into the playoffs as a 6 seed and went on the road. Rodgers doesn’t cope well on the frozen tundra when the temperatures drop.
May 3rd, 2022 at 10:51 am
It is likely the Chiefs. They did their 4th round selection from Germany last Saturday.
May 3rd, 2022 at 11:31 am
I suspect it’s Baltimore. Joe Burrow feels like SNF and the NFL loves Lamar Jackson. Two different styles of QB play.
May 3rd, 2022 at 11:57 am
well of course the rams volunteered to play in london instead of green bay late in the season. we dont have that same cold stadium in november and december, so it’s less of a situation teams want to avoid, as the case would be in lambeau late season
May 3rd, 2022 at 11:58 am
Ahhhhh, but the pretty women over there in Germany. Oohhh la la…….
May 3rd, 2022 at 12:15 pm
Reason #158 I hope the USFL thrives. The NFL needs competition. If they want to play in Europe, bring back NFL Europe.
May 3rd, 2022 at 12:16 pm
on top of that they would get the bye late season. i hope the league sees thru this
May 3rd, 2022 at 5:07 pm
So, two years in a row they don’t get the ninth home game? Not cool NFL! Not cool.
May 3rd, 2022 at 5:10 pm
2 years in a row they get screwed out of the ninth home game?